Dispensing box



Jan. 24, 1939.-

M. P KENNEDY DISPENSING BOX Filed Dec. l3, 1957 I/VVE/VTOR Patented Jan; 24, 1939 UNITED STATES "PATENT OFFICE I v 1 v 2,145,131 1 4 v DISPENSING BOX -Mary Phyllis Kennedy, London, Ontario, Canada Application December 13,1937 .S erialNo.179,483

' 5 Claims. (01. 229-17 y i The invention relates to improvements in dispensing boxes as described in the present specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawing that forms a part of the same.

The invention consists essentially of the novel features of construction pointed out broadly and specifically in the claims for novelty following a description in detail of an acceptable form of the .invention.

The objects of the invention are to devise a dispensing box forthe purpose of holding sipping straws or other articles of a similar nature in a sanitary condition and at the same time permit the removal of a straw or other article in the box without in any way touching the ends thereof; to increase sanitary conditions inboxes ofv that nature which will at all times thoroughly enclose the ends of the sipping straws or other articles and yet enablea consumer to extract the articles from the box without having in any way to open the cover or any other part of the box; to construct a box in which the egress thereof will be automatically opened or closed by the action'of the sipping straw or other article as it is being removed from the box, and generally provide a box provided with a flexible opening and which will be durable in construction and efficient in its many purposes.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a perspective view Figure 5 is a perspective View of the box disclosing a sipping straw being removed.

Figure 6 is a modified form of box.

Like numerals of reference indicate the corresponding parts in the various figures.

Referring to the drawing, the dispensingbox as shown in the drawing is used as a container for a plurality of drinking tubes, commonly known on the market as sipping straws and hereafter mentioned under that term, but it must be understood that this dispensing box has not been confined exclusively to the use of straws but may be used for containing other articles.

The dispensing box is preferably made from cardboard or similar material, although in certain cases it may be made of a more durable substance, but as shown in the drawing the dispensing box consists of a carton as indicated by the numeral. [0 provided with the usual side walls H and the top and'bottom walls l2 and I3. One of the walls II is provided with a central aperture 14 and'this aperture being large enough for the introduction of the-fingers of a hand for gripping the article therewithin and may be of any suitable shape, such as heart shape. diamond shape or to conform withany particular configuration that is desired.

This front wall I I containing the aperture l4 has a vertical slot 15 extending into the enlarged aperture Hand extending beyond the top edge 16 into the flap ll. The slot 15 adjacent to the edge I 6 flaring outwardly to the edge IBand flaringinwardly in the flap I 1 so as to form an enlarged slot [8 which may be diamond shape or any other shape.

On the inner surface of the apertured wall II is secured, by adhesive or other suitable means, a strip of material l9 which may be made of rubber or other material and has a longitudinal slit 20 andthe transverse slit 2|. The longitudinal slit 2!! adapted to be situated centrally between the vertical edges of the slot 15 and extending therebeyond to the extreme apex of the enlarged slot 18, while the transverse slit 2| is situated in alignment with the joining edge It of the wall H and flap [1.

The aperture wall II has a perforated section 23 extending on the vertical line from the lowermost portion of the aperture l4 and in direct alignment with the slit 20 of the strip of material I9 articles are introduced in the box and the box is suitably closed and when it is desired to use the box as a dispensing medium, all that is necessary to be done is to cut the serrated or perforated section 23 and to break the Celluloid facing 24 from the aperture l4, although it is optional whether the facing need be used and the device is then ready as a dispenser, as all that is necessary to remove a straw is to insert the fingers of the hand into the aperture l4, grip one of the straws and pull-it out through the aperture I4 and the slit l5 of the material [9 and it will be noted that as soon as the straw has been removed the slits 23 and 21 will return to their normal position, which is the closedposition, in View of their flexibility and in this instant it is rather advsable to use a strip of material formed from rubber or other material which will give a springing efiect and in that way the opening will be closed when the dispenser is not being used and thereby avoid dirt or other foreign material from penetrating therethrough, but one of the main features is that the fingers of the hand will not come into contact with the ends of the straw which will be placed in the mouth of the person, thereby eliminating any possible danger from any foreign matter that might be on the fingers from'coming in contact with the straw ends.

In the modified form as shown in Figure 6 the construction is substantially the same with the exception that the enlarged aperture 25 is formed in two of the walls 26 of the box, in other words, the serrated edge and the accompanyingvslot and slits are situated in one of the corners of the box, as with slight, modifications the invention is adaptable when formed in that location of the box and it is of course understood that this arrangement is equally serviceable when the range is on the horizontal plane as to that shown on the vertical plane in the box.

What I claim is:

1. In a dispensing box, a box having side walls and top and bottom walls, one of said top walls and one of said side walls having a common slot,

said side wall having a slot terminating at one end into an enlarged aperture and at the other end into the common slot, and a strip of rubber material secured to said top wall and said side wall and adapted to close the slotted portion thereof and having a longitudinal and a transverse slit situated. midway of the slots.

2. In a dispensing box, a box having side walls and top and bottom walls, one of said side walls having a perforated line terminating into an enlarged aperture formed in the wall, the slot being provided with a slotted portion emanating from one of the top walls and terminating in the enlarged aperture of the side walls and. a strip of material having longitudinal and transverse slits and secured to the interior of the apertured side wall and'the top wall and adapted to form a closure for the slot.

3. In a dispensing box, a carton having side walls and end walls and accompanying flaps,-a finger insertion aperture situated in one of the walls, the same wall having the slotted portion terminating in the enlarged aperture and a strip of rubber material enclosing the slotted portion and having slits therethrough and adapted to be automatically opened and closed through the egress or ingress of articles from or into the carton.

V 4. In adispensing box, a box formed of side walls and closure walls, an enlarged aperture formed in certain of said side walls and communicating slots formed in certain of said side walls and closure walls and communicating with the enlarged aperture and a strip of material adhesively secured to the slotted side and closure walls adapted to close the opening formed by the slots and having slits therethrough for allowing the egress of articles from the box and adapted to berclosed or opened through the movement during the egress of the article in the box.

5. In a dispensing box, a box having side walls and end walls, the latter forming closure walls, one of said closure walls and one of said side walls having a common slot leading into a communicating slot formed in the side wall and ter- 

